Sign.



T. R. WILLWERSCHEID.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1915.

1,201,786. Patented 0011.111916.

THEoDoR n. WILLwERsoHEID, or sT. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

SIGN.

Application led February 23, 1915. Serial No. 9,776.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THEoDoR It. IVILL- WERsoHErD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toan impro-vement in signs, and has for its primary object the production of a sign that will stand rough use, such as is required of automobile tags, without deterioration.

A further object is the production of a sign by which the figures, letters or other inscriptions are sharply dened, so that they can be read from a long distance.

A still further object is to reinforce the structure and protect the'letters or figures against abrasion.

Further objects and details of construe` tion will be set forth in the following description, in which the drawing forms part thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a front elevation of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken upon the line X-X of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a section of a detail taken upon the line Y-Y of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a front view of a detail of the sign; Fig. 5 is a section of a detail; Fig. 6 is a front view of a detail of an alternative construction, and Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line Z-Z of Fig. 6.

My improved sign consists in part of a thin face plate of metal A cut into suitable shape, and having its edges clasped over a wire reinforcing frame B, which conforms in shape to the outline of any design of sign, which is desired. The edge portion of the plate A is wrapped around the wire frame as illustrated in Fig. 2 and its body portion depressed within a panel C. The edge of the sign thus presents a smooth rounded surface. The back face of said plate and the back extremity of the frame with the material wrapped around it lie in a single plane, so that when the sign is fastened against a fiat surface, the body of the plate rests firmly upon said surface.

For the purpose of providing means whereby the sign can lbe secured to a support, strap openings D are provided, each of said openings being formed by cutting away a portion of the material of the plate within the frame B to form elongated eye openings alongside of the frame, leaving a portion of Specification of Lettersy Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

the frame exposed and around which a strap can be looped by passing the strap through the eye opening. The material opening is turned back upon the body of the plate to form smooth rounded ends E, which prevent the material of the sign cutting or wearing the strap. The panel portion C of the plate rests in a plane below the outer portion of the sign and is formed with enlarged portions G, through which openings H are provided for receiving screws, suoli as I, (see Fig. 5) to secure the sign rigidly on a Support when straps are not employed. The

margin of the sign plate and the frame with the plate wrapped around it rotect the body portion of the sign and any gures or letters upon its surface against abrasion, and also reinforce the structure.

The sign figures or letters J may be embossed in the plate and colored or finished with paint, enamel or other printing material upon their outstanding surfaces, (see Figs. 1 and 2) or the letters or figures which are printed upon the body portion of the sign may be printed Vupon the surface of the sheet of metal, such as at K, (see Fig. 6), and an embossment L raised on the plate after the ink or paint constituting the bodyk of the figure is dry, said embossment being formed by dies in an embossing press and conforming to the marginal edges of the body of the figure. The embossment (see Figs. 6 and 7) in addition to protecting the body of the figure or letter also serves to more sharply define the outline of the inscription, so that the letter 01 gure can be easily read from a greater distance than if the embossment is not employed. The embossment in either the preferred or alterna tive construction reinforces the body of the plate, and cooperating with the other reinforcements above described assists in producing a strong and rigid structure with a minimum amount of material.

By producing inscriptions by the method defined above, the cost of making display devices is reduced, andthe speed of production increased.

The entire structure can be secured to a support either'by straps or screws, and when either method of fastening is employed, the sign is durable, and does not tend to wear out the supporting parts, which is an advantage.

In accordance with the patent statutes, Iv

of my invention, together' with the device which I now consider torepresent the best embodiment thereof, but desire Vto have it;

understood that the construction shown is only illnstrative,and that the invention canv be carried o-utby Wother means and applied to uses other than those Vabove set forthv Within the scope of the `following claim.

Having described my invention, what I Y olailn asxnew and'idesirer; to protect' by Letters Patentis v Y Alsign, co-inprising,"in` combination, a face plate 'formed' Withv a bodyportion and an outstanding marginal panel, a-frame Icon` forming With the outlinefof the signand oyerwhichi the edge of said panel iswrapped i to reinforce the sign and present a smooth rounded edge, the` extreme forward portion of said rounded edge, and the body portion of said plate respectively, lying in outer and inner Aparallel' planes, said plate having an eye opening in its edge exposing a portion of said frame, a portion of said plate adjacent said opening being doubledlbackl to naine to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses THEODOR W'ILLWERSCHEID." Titnesses :\l

M. HAMM, C. Os'rBERml Copiesfofithisspatent may abevobtaiined for fve `cents. eaehyby` addressing the Cmms`sine1`=offPtetsf Washington, D. C. i 

